I wanted to "cut the cord". I live between Baltimore and DC. I purchased an indoor antenna that let me watch Baltimore VHF stations and a few Baltimore UHF stations. After adding the amp, I can watch all Baltimore stations and all but one DC UHF station. I did an evaluation which I hope you will find helpful.
First, a little background. There are two kinds of TV amplifiers. The cheaper is called a "distribution amp". Use this amplifier if you have strong signal at the antenna, but want to use that signal for many TVs. When doing this, you will need one or more splitters, which divide the signal between the TVs. For example, a 5 to 1 splitter will give each TV about 1/6 of the signal. (Some of the signal is lost because the splitter is not perfect.) By the time the signal gets to the TV, the signal strength is reduced. A distribution amp overcomes this signal loss, but it adds noise. Adding noise is not a major problem because the signal was strong to begin with. You can save a few bucks.
If the antenna signal is weak, you need to amplify the signal while adding as little noise as possible. You need a "pre-amp", which costs more. In most cases, the pre-amp will also overcome the splitter losses. You get both functions in one device, but pay a few bucks more.
Just a little more background. TV broadcast signals are divided into VHF and UHF bands. VHF is channels 2 - 13 and uses 55 to 220 MHz. UHF is channels 14 - 69 and uses 450 - 800 MHz. No matter which type of amp you use, you want both bands amplified. This is difficult to do with one amp. The better approach is to separate the two bands and use two amps -- one for VHF and one for UHF.
This amplifier is two pre-amps in one package. It covers both VHF and UHF bands. It adds about 1 dB of noise, which is very good for an inexpensive device. If you are solidly grounded in TV technology, you will know there are other factors that are very important in making a good amp. I won't go into them here, other than to say my observations are that this amp performs amazingly well.
When evaluating how well an amp works at your house, channel scan is not a very good indicator. For example, my TV's scan picks up channel 5, a DC VHF station. But the signal is so poor that the picture only shows up for a few seconds now and then. The better way to evaluate is to do the channel scan without the amp. Then measure the signal strength for several stations with and without the amp. TVs have a signal strength meter in the menu, but you have to do a little digging to find it. For my TV, it's in setup -- channel setup -- Digital TV. My scan without the amp picks up channels 5, 11, 66, and 67 (among others). The signal strength without the amp is 0, 83, 42, 63. I picked these channels because 5 is useless (seldom shows a picture), 11 is excellent, 66 usually shows a picture put pixelates a lot, 67 is pretty good but pixelates occasionally. I can watch 11 and 67, but not 5 and 66. Now I know that I want the signal strength to be at least 65. These numbers are for my TV. Other TVs may display different signal strength numbers. What's important is how Your TV's numbers relate to the quality of your picture. Also, for this test, it's best to do it with one TV and no splitters. If you do this and get good signal for all stations, you can stop reading right now. A pre-amp won't improve anything.
After I inserted the amp, the signal strength was 60, 83, 56, 87. Channel 5 went from useless to pretty good, which is amazing. Channel 11 didn't increase, but 83 indicates a strong signal with a perfect picture. Channel 66 went from unwatchable to good. Channel 67 went from good to excellent. What more can one ask of an antenna amplifier?
Where should you place the amp? I did these tests without any splitters -- all of the signal was going to one TV. You want the amplifier to be before any splitters, but it doesn't have to be physically close to the antenna. My antenna is on the 2nd floor. It has a 6 foot cable, which plugs into a socket in my wall. On the other side of the wall is a 60 foot cable to a low voltage box in my basement. The box has splitters and other cables that go to other sockets in other rooms. I can't place the amp right at the antenna. But I can place it either on the 2nd floor or at the low voltage box. I tried both. There was no difference in performance. Not even one digit changed on the signal strength for any station. The point is, there is no measurable loss in signal between the antenna and the other end of the coax cable, even if the cable is 65 feet long and includes two connections (one on either side of the wall.) (Assuming you use good coax cable with screw connectors.) You don't need an outdoor amp, even if you have an outdoor antenna. After I purchased this amp, I found another from the same manufacturer that was exactly the same electronics but packaged for indoor use. I could have saved a few bucks by buying the indoor amp. If you have an outdoor antenna, you will benefit by not having your amp out in the weather, and lose almost nothing. Just make sure the amp is before any splitters.
| Brand Name | Winegard |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.38 x 1.5 x 2.75 inches |
| Item model number | LNA-200 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
